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1983 in video games

Article Discussion

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Year nav topic5

1983 has seen many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Mario Bros. and Pole Position II, along with new titles such as Astron Belt, Champion Baseball, Dragon's Lair, Elevator Action, Spy Hunter and Track & Field. Major events include the video game crash of 1983 in North America, and the third generation of video game consoles beginning with the launch of Nintendo's Family Computer (Famicom) and Sega's SG-1000 in Japan. The year's highest-grossing video game was Namco's arcade game Pole Position, while the year's best-selling home system was Nintendo's Game & Watch for the third time since 1980.

Financial performanceEdit

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> (equivalent to Template:US$ at the time, or $Template:Formatprice adjusted for inflation).

Highest-grossing arcade gamesEdit

Pole Position, a racing game by Namco, was the most successful arcade game of 1983.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

JapanEdit

In Japan, Game Machine magazine began publishing half-monthly charts of top-grossing arcade games from June 1, 1983.<ref name="GM215"/> The following titles were the top-grossing arcade video games on the Game Machine charts from June to December 1983.

Month Table arcade cabinet Upright/cockpit cabinet Template:Abbr
First half Second half First half Second half
Template:Dts Champion Baseball Astron Belt <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Template:Dts <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="GM215">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Template:Dts <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Template:Dts Champion Baseball Elevator Action <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Template:Dts Elevator Action Ultra Quiz Astron Belt <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Template:Dts Pole Position Star Wars <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Template:Dts Xevious Joshi Volleyball Laser Grand Prix Pole Position II <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Template:Dts Exerion Hyper Olympic TX-1 <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

United StatesEdit

In the United States, the following titles were the highest-grossing arcade games of 1983, according to RePlay magazine, the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA), and Cash Box magazine.

Rank RePlay AMOA<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Cash Box<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Play Meter
1 Pole Position<ref name="RePlay">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Pole Position<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Ms. Pac-Man,
Pole Position 		Dragon's Lair<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
2 Dragon's Lair,
Mr. Do!<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> 		Bump 'n' Jump,
Galaga,
Ms. Pac-Man,
Mr. Do!,
Bag Man,
Nibbler,
Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom,
Jungle King (Jungle Hunt)
Donkey Kong,
Joust,
Time Pilot,
Q*bert 		rowspan="12" Template:Unknown
3 Dragon's Lair
4 Template:Unknown Millipede
5 rowspan="9" Template:Unknown rowspan="9" Template:N/A
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

Best-selling home video gamesEdit

The following titles were the best-selling home video games of 1983.

Rank Title Platform Publisher Licensor Release Year Genre Sales Template:Abbr
1 Ms. Pac-Man Atari 2600 Atari, Inc. Midway 1983 Maze 1,963,078 <ref name="Atari">Template:Cite book Via Template:Cite episode</ref>
2 Donkey Kong ColecoVision Coleco Nintendo 1982 Platformer 1,500,000 <ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref>
3 Centipede Atari 2600 Atari, Inc. Template:N/A 1983 Shoot 'em up 1,475,240 <ref name="Atari" />
4 Pitfall! Atari 2600 Activision Template:N/A 1982 Platformer 1,000,000+ citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

5 Pac-Man Atari 2600 Atari, Inc. Namco 1982 Maze 684,569 <ref name="Atari" />
6 Night Driver Atari 2600 Atari, Inc. Template:N/A 1980 Racing 580,959
7 Space Invaders Atari 2600 Atari, Inc. Taito 1980 Shoot 'em up 435,353
8 Warlords Atari 2600 Atari, Inc. Template:N/A 1981 Action 372,672
9 Breakout Atari 2600 Atari, Inc. Template:N/A 1978 Block breaker 312,672
10 Centipede Atari 2600 Atari, Inc. Template:N/A 1983 Shoot 'em up 100,499

Best-selling home systemsEdit

Rank System(s) Manufacturer Type Generation Sales
Japan Worldwide
1 Game & Watch Nintendo Handheld Template:N/A Template:N/A 5,300,000<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
2 Atari 2600 (Atari VCS) Atari, Inc. Console Second Template:N/A 3,000,000<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
3 Commodore 64 (C64) Commodore Computer 8-bit Template:N/A citation CitationClass=web

}}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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4 ColecoVision Coleco Console Second Template:N/A 1,500,000<ref name=":0" />
5 Family Computer (Famicom / NES) Nintendo Console Third 1,000,000+<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 1,000,000+
6 IBM Personal Computer (IBM PC) IBM Computer 8-bit / 16-bit Template:N/A 850,000<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
7 Intellivision Mattel Console Second Template:N/A 750,000<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
8 Atari 400 / Atari 800 Atari, Inc. Computer 8-bit Template:N/A 500,000<ref name=":222" />
9 Apple II Apple Inc. Computer 8-bit Template:N/A 420,000<ref name=":222" />
10 NEC PC-88 / PC-98 NEC Computer 8-bit / 16-bit {{#expr:(719+166)*0.41 round -1}},000<ref name=":02">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":12">Template:Cite book</ref> {{#expr:885*0.41 round -1}},000+

Major awardsEdit

Award 4th Arcade Awards (US)<ref>"1984 Arcade Awards", Electronic Games, January 1984, pages 68–81.</ref> Video Games Player Golden Joystick Awards (US)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Golden Joystick Awards (UK)<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Arcade Console Computer Standalone Arcade Console Computer Computer
Game of the Year Pole Position Lady Bug Lode Runner Q*bert Robotron: 2084 Pitfall! Shamus Jetpac
Ms. Pac-Man
Best Arcade Adaptation Template:N/A Kangaroo Frogger Template:N/A Template:N/A Donkey Kong Frogger Template:N/A
Best Movie Adaptation Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Empire Strikes Back Template:N/A Template:N/A
Most Innovative Game Q*bert Template:N/A Archon Template:N/A Astron Belt Microsurgeon Baseball Template:N/A
Best Original Game Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Ah Diddums
Best Graphics Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Pole Position Zaxxon Wayout Template:N/A
Best Special Effects Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A SubRoc-3D Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A
Audio/Visual Effects Dragon's Lair Donkey Kong Jr. Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A
Arcade-Style Game Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Manic Miner
Best Action Game Template:N/A River Raid Centipede Template:N/A Centipede Centipede Crossfire Template:N/A
Best Ladder Game Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Donkey Kong Donkey Kong Miner 2049er Template:N/A
Best Maze Game Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Ms. Pac-Man Pac-Man Template:N/A
Science Fiction/Fantasy Xevious Vanguard Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A
Best Space Game Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A Buck Rogers Demon Attack Defender Template:N/A
Best Adventure Game Template:N/A Advanced D&D Witness Template:N/A Template:N/A Dragonstomper Zork Template:N/A
Best Sports Game colspan="3" Template:N/A Template:N/A colspan="2" Template:N/A Soccer Template:N/A
Strategy/War Game colspan="3" Template:N/A Template:N/A colspan="2" Template:N/A Legionnaire The Hobbit
Best Mini-Arcade Game colspan="3" Template:N/A 3-D Sky Attack colspan="3" Template:N/A Template:N/A
Best Software House colspan="4" Template:N/A colspan="3" Template:N/A Ultimate Play the Game

EventsEdit

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  • December - Sente Technologies, a division of Pizza Time Theater, launches and demonstrates its first title Snake Pit.

BusinessEdit

  • MCA Universal files suit against Nintendo, claiming that the latter company's video arcade hit Donkey Kong violated Universal's copyright on King Kong. After a brief trial, the judge determined that the rights to the original Kong had passed into the public domain. The case was dismissed, and MCA Universal paid US$1.8 million in damages to Nintendo.,<ref name="mcakong">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Origin Systems,<ref name="ultima3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Interplay,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Navarre,<ref name="navarre">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Mastertronic, Spectrum HoloByte, Tynesoft

Notable releasesEdit

GamesEdit

Arcade

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  • Konami releases Gyruss in Japan. Centuri distributes the game in North America.<ref name="gyruss">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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|CitationClass=web }}</ref> the third laserdisc video game, and the first in the American market.

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> It uses anime FMV cut scenes to develop a story between the game's shooting stages, which would later become the standard approach to video game storytelling.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • August – Sega releases Astron Belt in Europe, as the first laserdisc game in the region.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • September – Konami releases Track & Field.
  • November – Sega releases Astron Belt in the United States.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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|CitationClass=web }}</ref> They also release Jr. Pac-Man and quiz game Professor Pac-Man without Namco's authorization, and the latter is an immediate flop.

  • Williams releases Blaster, which was originally programmed on an Atari 8-bit computer.
  • Parker Brothers releases James Bond 007.

Personal computer

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Console

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HardwareEdit

Arcade

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Its graphics chips are later used in the Sega System 16 and Sega Space Harrier boards.

Console

File:Nintendo-Famicom-Console-Set-FL.jpg
Family Computer
  • July 15 – Sega releases the SG-1000 console in Japan,<ref name="sg1000">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> on the same day as the Famicom.

  • July 15 – Nintendo releases the Family Computer (Famicom) console in Japan. Shortly after its release, complaints begin to surface about rampant system instability, prompting Nintendo to issue a product recall and to rerelease the machine with a new motherboard.<ref name="nintendoland" /> It would later be released worldwide as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).
  • October – Casio launches the Casio PV-1000 in Japan. It does not remain on the market for long.
  • October – Gakken launches the Compact Vision TV Boy in Japan. It's the last second generation console released. It was expensive and obsolete at launch, being discontinued shortly after.
  • GameLine, a combination modem and dialup game distribution service for the Atari 2600, is announced but never ships.

Personal computer

  • January – Apple Computer releases the Apple IIe, which becomes their most popular 8-bit machine.
  • June 16 – Microsoft Japan releases MSX, an early standardized home computer architecture.
  • March – Atari releases the poorly received 1200XL computer. Late in the year it and the rest of the Atari 8-bit computer series are replaced by the 600XL and 800XL.
  • June – Mattel Electronics releases the Aquarius home computer, originally designed by Radofin Electronics Far East.<ref name="aquarius">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • October – Coleco releases the Adam home computer.<ref name="adam">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is only on the market for 15 months.

  • October – Mattel discontinues the Aquarius.
  • Acorn Computers release the Acorn Electron, a cut down version of their BBC Micro to compete in the under £200 home computer market. Problems in manufacture see only 1 in 8 presales being delivered for the Christmas market.
  • Sega releases the SC-3000, a personal computer version of the SG-1000 console, in Japan.<ref name="sg1000"/>

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

Template:History of video games

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